


30 Day OTP Winter Challenge (Drake Edition)

by PolarGrizz47



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Fluff, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-08-12 20:43:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7948417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarGrizz47/pseuds/PolarGrizz47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles based on the prompts from the 30 Day Winter Challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1: Sweaters

**Author's Note:**

> New to the fandom, so I hope this is a good read. Still trying to get a feel of the characters. Continual WIP until I hit the 30-day mark. Will in no sense be updated daily, thanks to educational requirements. 
> 
>  
> 
> *This is a _fictional work._ If you are triggered by sibling incest, please do not read.
> 
> Unbeta'ed.

“What is _that?”_ Samuel asked, brow raised and a smirk pulling at his lips while Nathan instantly pouted. In his brother’s hands was a sweater - or that’s what Samuel was _assuming_ it was. The poor thing looked like it had been through the wringer more than once. It was worn down, frayed at the seams, but still retaining its greenish-gray color. Towards the bottom was a small hole, but Samuel could tell that this thing was sturdy, and probably warm.

The younger Drake lifted the garment a bit higher, long sleeved, small scooped neckline. “A sweater, duh,” Nathan said with a huff, the pout turning into a sly smirk, “Thought it’d look good with that denim jacket you like so much.”

Samuel grinned, slowly pushing himself up from the couch with a low grunt of amusement. “Is this another elaborate attempt to change my wardrobe?”

“I would never,” Nathan retorted, managing to sound genuinely hurt at the assumption even though his smile grew wider. “I _love_ your denim.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” The older man mumbled, eyes roaming over the sorry looking fabric that Nathan had supposedly gifted to him. “Where’d you even find this?”

A shrug was all he got in response, Nathan slowly pulling out his best puppy dog face as he implored Samuel to grab the sweater. It really wasn’t fair, Samuel thought that a man his brother’s age shouldn’t be allowed to use that type of expression. Against his better judgment, his brother gave a loud groan and finally snatched the sorry excuse of a piece of clothing away from Nathan’s hands.

“Gimme that,” Samuel mumbled, feeling over the fabric, examining the make and stitching, the way it wove together, surprisingly sturdily. He rose a brow and looked towards his younger brother with a slight smile, strangely touched by the gesture. “Not bad, little brother.”

“Do you like it?” Nathan suddenly blurted, eyes wide and smile lopsided, unable to control his own curiosity. Some things just never changed, even after fifteen years.

Smirking, Samuel swung one arm around the back of Nathan’s neck, pulling him into a slight hug, “I love it.”

Doubtfully, he looked over Nathan’s shoulder at the sweater he held. In all honesty, Samuel didn’t think it’d last a month in his care. Scratch that, a week, tops.

* * *

The season came and went, Samuel often missing the chill of winter when the bugs all came back around in the spring. But the warm weather never lasted, and it wasn’t long until the first few flakes of bitter snow were peppering the ground.

Nathan peered outside of their frosted window, smacking his lips together as he struggled to make coffee through bleary eyes. Rubbing a wrist over his face, Nathan turned his head to the side to spy Samuel sneaking into the kitchen. A smirk slowly spread across his features as he saw what his older brother was wearing.

“Need any help there, sleeping beauty?” Samuel asked, grinning as he moved closer to aid his brother in the, apparently difficult, process of making coffee. Nathan gave a sleepy grumble and stepped back to allow his brother control of the coffee pot.

While Samuel set off to work, Nathan lazily leaned into his back, pressing his stubbled cheek into the familiar fabric. It wasn’t soft but wasn’t entirely unpleasant either. Rough, but just the right amount of elasticity to make it a heat-trapping garment. A hand wrapped around Samuel’s chest, keeping him close as Nathan yawned into his back.

“Hey, don’t drool on my sweater,” He muttered fondly while he haphazardly threw some of the coffee grinds into the filter.

“It’s partially _my_ sweater too, you know,” Nathan mumbled, squeezing his brother a bit tighter.

Samuel snorted, putting a hand over his brother’s arm, “I think that defeats the purpose of a gift, Nathan.” He closed the lid on the coffee pot and started the brew, turning around slowly to kiss the younger man’s brow. Nathan merely leaned into it, eyes closed and expression soft. “Jesus, did you sleep at all last night?”

“Mmm - nope,” Nathan grumbled, managing to open his eyes and send a small glare towards the pile of papers and maps he’d been pouring over throughout the night. Their next big score, he kept telling himself.

“And you think coffee’s gonna fix that?” Samuel asked while steering his brother towards the couch, smirking to himself when Nathan put up no resistance to the idea of a lying down. “Here, nap time for you.”

The younger Drake let out a sleepy grumble as his brother settled him onto the couch, halfheartedly protesting as a blanket was draped across his frame. His hand snuck out and latched onto the edge of Samuel’s sweater, giving him a pleading look.

“What?” The man asked, raising a brow as Nathan tugged him closer.

“Lay down with me?” His younger brother asked, scooting more into the couch to make room. “ _Please?”_

Samuel sighed, rolling his eyes. “Fine, fine,” He said, slowly smiling as he nudged Nathan over a bit more and laid down, stretching out comfortably before tugging his brother’s body atop his, submitting himself to be used a pillow. Not that Samuel minded, of course. “That better?”

“Much,” Nathan yawned, pressing his face into Samuel’s chest and eventually closing his eyes. His brother smelled good, he was a warm presence to cuddle up against.

Nathan often wondered how he got so lucky...

Samuel petted over the younger man’s back until Nathan was fast asleep, smiling to himself as he listened to the man’s sleepy little quips from his dreams. He gently smoothed his hand over Nathan’s ear when the coffee pot chimed, signaling that their brew was ready. He could smell it, and as delicious as it probably was at this time in the morning, Samuel wasn’t willing to give up his position right now. Nor was he willing to risk waking up his exhausted brother. He had a habit of overworking himself, and Samuel thought that it was high-time his brother had a little break.

Hours later, Nathan finally stirred, stretching out a little as he lifted his face from the warmth of his brother’s chest. Samuel was fast asleep, head tipped back and soft snores echoing from the depths of his throat. The younger Drake smiled lazily, pressing his face back onto the fabric of the ratty sweater.

He focused on the strong and steady swooshes of Samuel’s heartbeat, eyes steadily drooping once more with intentions of another nap. Strong fingers twined into the fabric of the worn sweater, content and warm to rest there against his brother. It was all too easy to fall back asleep once more.


	2. Day 2: Snowball Fights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got waaay more feelsy than intended in this chapter, sorry. 
> 
> Again, unbeta'ed and written extremely quickly!

Sam had been studying the map laid out in front of him for quite some time, puffs of breath rising from his mouth in a crisp mist. Brown eyes traced the edges of mountains, the outlines of frozen rivers and the depressions of valleys. 

The short, faux fur on the collar of his thick, denim jacket aided in keeping the chill from his throat. He hunkered down deeper into himself, tapping at the map in irritation.

“Nathan,” He started, turning to look over his shoulder towards his younger brother, “What do you think-”

The snowball hit him squarely in the face, loosely packed and merely exploding into a thousand tiny flakes. Frost crept over his cheeks, melting against his skin and making the older man gasp.

Nathan sent Sam an innocent smile while bending down to make another snowball, already creeping back into the treeline of the forest. Sam grinned, wiping at his face before he swept a hand out, collecting a good amount of snow while taking off after his brother.

A few circular presses of snow later, and they were running throughout the forest like wildmen, dodging trees and hiding behind them to avoid any incoming balls. For a while, they were content to play cat and mouse, shooting the frosty ammunition, hiding and hoping about. Eventually, though, Sam fell dead silent, Nathan pausing in his tracks with his snowball held in mid-swing.

“Sam?” He called, turning on his heel to survey the trees. All he saw was a blanket of white and pine branches, some looking worse for the wear with the pine-beetle kill. Their orange needles stood out starkly against the snow, but Nathan’s blue eyes couldn’t make out the outline of his brother amongst it all.  _ “Sam!” _

A bit of worry stirred in his belly, an itching paranoia clawing at the back of his mind - a small voice telling him that he’d been hallucinating again.

Sam was dead. It was just a repeat of losing Sully. The blood wasn’t real. The scars on his brother’s skin weren't real. 

The snowball lowered in his hand, heart racing wildly.

No,  _ no.  _ Sam was real -  _ Sam was real. _ He swallowed, turning this way and the next, trying to find his brother in the outline of the thick trees. 

Panic festered under his skin, thoughts plagued by second-guesses, his mouth suddenly dry and heart heavy. The snow fell from his clutches, his knees growing weak.

The more rational part of his mind warned him that Sam was trying to get the drop on him, and if he succeeded, it’d result in shivery punishment from the icy snowball. However, the louder, more anxious part of his mind told him that he was drugged once more, or dreaming like he had so many times before.

Soon enough, Nathan found himself seeing other shapes in the trees, hauntings from the past come back to life, wishing to avenge their former selves. The man backed up slowly, trying to blink the memories away, trying to picture his hands chilled by snow and not warmed by his brother’s blood -

His back hit something semi-solid, and warm. He panicked, lurching up like a startled beast while strong arms wrapped around his body.

“Whoa - whoa, Nathan!  _ Nate _ \- it’s me!” Sam hurried to say, tightening his grip on his brother while he writhed and thrashed like a serpent caught in a trap. “Relax - it’s  _ me _ \- Sam!”

_ Sam? _

Nathan stilled, the mirages in the trees vanishing with a gust of wind that left his lungs. He sagged into his brother’s weight, clutching at his thick arms tightly.

“Sam?” He croaked, turning his head to the side, his cold nose meeting the outline of a tattooed bird along Sam’s throat.

“Yeah, it’s me,” His older brother assured, shushing him quietly. His voice lowered as he turned Nathan around, dark eyes narrowed in concern. “What the hell happened? Are you okay?”

The younger Drake’s eyes widened, and he struggled to come up with a rational reason for his behavior. Eventually, he couldn’t meet Sam’s gaze, his eyes dropping to the side. He shook his head mutely.

“Hey,” Sam tucked his finger under Nathan’s chin, lifting his face up gently. “You can talk to me.”

Nathan wet his lips, his heart still racing, filled to the brim with anxiety. His voice shook as he whispered, “I...I thought that-that you were  _ gone,  _ again. That I was,” He paused, swallowing down the dryness in his throat, “Dreaming… or hallucinating. Wouldn’t -  _ ah _ \- be the first time,” He tried to smile, but it fell terribly short upon seeing his older brother’s worried and saddened expression. Nathan found himself apologizing, guilt rising in his lungs, “I-I’m sorry.”

Sam shook his head sternly, “No - Nathan,” He bit his lip, resting both palms on the younger man’s shoulders. His fingers dug into the fabric of Nathan’s brown coat as he said, “There is  _ nothing _ to apologize for, alright?”

He waited until Nathan gave a soft nod in understanding before continuing.

“You’re not dreaming - _ this,” _ He gave his brother a firm squeeze, “Is real. I’m real, you’re  _ real,”  _ Sam pulled Nathan to his chest in a tight hug. He pressed a kiss to Nathan’s reddened, chilly cheeks, “You’re not dreaming, you’re not drugged.” Sam leaned back a bit to look Nathan in the eye. “Do I look real? Do I  _ feel _ real?”

Nathan gave him a small, convinced smile, feeling a bit better. “I uh, I might need another kiss. Just to be sure.”

The man returned the smile with a low chuckle, pulling Nathan into another kiss, their cold noses brushing together. “There… that good?”

“Yeah… thanks, Sam,” Nathan wrapped his arms around Sam’s broad shoulders, leaning into his warmth. Much better, he thought, comforted immensely by his brother’s presence. 

The older Drake merely grinned, “No problem, little brother… just uh - just one more thing…” Before Nathan could pull away and question him, Sam made sure to shove a handful of snow up the back of his shirt, delighting in the way Nathan squealed and lurched away.

“Sam! That’s not fair,” Nathan laughed, hurrying to get the melting snow out of his shirt. “You’re terrible.”

“C’mon, it’s only retaliation for that first snowball,” Sam assured, putting his warm hands up Nathan’s shirt, hoping to help subside his shivering. “Forgive me?” He asked, pressing his lips to the sensitive skin behind Nathan’s ear.

“Mm… fine, but only this once,” Nathan whispered as the last of his insecurities were chased away once more, blinded by the warmth and comfort of his long-lost sibling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it was enjoyable regardless!


	3. Day Three: Hot Chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a tad shorter than the others, sorry!!

Treasure hunting in the winter was always a pain. The bright snow made it hard to aim and see clues, while the bitter cold brought forth a plethora of problems. One of which was currently making itself known to Sam, as his hands shook and teeth clattered together.

Nathan was in a similar state, hands wrapped around himself as they trudged up the snowed-in driveway to their rental cabin. They weren’t about to risk their vehicle getting stuck in the snow, which left them parking a good walk away from the home. 

It wouldn’t have been so bad if not for the vicious wind that tore at them, the sound howling in his ears and making Sam’s cheeks pink. He huffed out a laugh as they finally got to the door, shoving it open with shivering fingertips as he ushered his little brother inside.

“T-Thanks,” Nathan said, hurrying inside with mist rising from his mouth. “Jeeze, it’s freezing,” He managed, curling up on the couch while his brother pushed the door closed behind them and locked it.

He let out a grumble when Sam gracelessly plopped down beside him, nearly crushing him in the process. Nathan didn’t fight it when Sam wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in closer, pressing up against his side like an oversized, insistent cat. “C’mere, you’re warmer than the couch,” He rumbled, pleased when Nathan settled against him.

For a long moment, they sat in silence, allowing the feeling to return to their fingertips and the redness to fade from their features. Nathan was the first to pull away, ignoring Sam’s little groan when he did so. 

The younger Drake hurried into the kitchen and Sam heard the faucet running along with a few choice bangs of a pan before Nathan was curling up against him once more. The man grumbled, sticking his face into his brother’s neck while curling his arms tight around Nathan’s hips. “Mmm, no more leaving for you,” He rumbled, fingers sneaking under Nathan’s jacket to touch his warm skin, a sly smile pulling across his features when the man wriggled in his grasp fruitlessly.

Nathan burst into a small fit of laughter as Sam’s chilled fingertips ghosted over his skin, causing all sorts of sensations to ripple through him. He pushed at his brother’s hands, turning a bit to tutt at the man, “Hey, c’mon I’m making us some hot coco, have a little respect, Sam.”

Sam paused, raising a brow in curiosity and surprise. “Hot… chocolate?” He repeated, hands coming to rest along Nathan’s hips. “Like, the actually packaged stuff in hot water.”

Blue eyes just stared at him in disbelief, Nathan’s lips thinned before he nodded. “Uh, yeah,” He brushed some of the melted snow off Sam’s shoulder, brows furrowed. “Don’t have any of that fancy stuff, sorry. But uh - our mix has some of those little marshmallows in it…”

“Jesus,” Sam huffed, pulling Nathan against his chest as he flopped back against the couch. “You know how  _ long _ it’s been since I’ve had any of that stuff?”

Realization dawned on Nathan’s features, relieved that his brother wasn’t criticizing him, “Oh.  _ Oh!” _ Nathan paused, looking guilty, “Sam, I…”

He never knew what to say about _ that.  _ About the fact that his older brother spent the majority of his life rotting in prison while he traversed the globe and experienced life to the fullest.

Sam sighed, gently shaking his head. “Hey, no, none of that. Okay? Yeah, it sucked, but cheers to hot chocolate on a freezing day.” He pressed a kiss to Nathan’s neck and squeezed him once more, hoping to elate his younger brother’s spirits.

Nathan squirmed again, a hesitant smile blooming over his features while Sam kissed his throat. 

* * *

Sam smiled widely after taking the first sip, ignoring Nathan’s warnings that it was literally boiling. He just couldn’t resist. The mixture of chocolate foam and melting, fake marshmallows bobbing in the warm, brown liquid was far too tempting.

After licking the leftovers off his lips, the man slapped a hand onto Nathan’s back and proclaimed, “That’s the best damn cup of hot chocolate I’ve had in my entire life!”

His younger brother sent him a pleased smile, endlessly relieved that it lived up to Sam’s expectations. “I just think it’s because you haven’t had it for - oh I dunno, about fifteen years?”

The older man grinned wider, wrapping an arm around Nathan’s shoulders to pull him closer. “Mmhm, no.” He shook his head, taking another sip before pressing his chocolatey lips to Nathan’s cheek, “It’s because you made it with love.”

The younger Drake snorted with amusement and wiped at his cheek, “Yeah, sure thing, Sam.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These dudes are super fun to write, hope it was an enjoyable read. 
> 
> Comments always appreciated! <3


	4. Day 4: Books

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of the Drakes being lazy in the cold.  
> Unbeta'ed and written quickly.

Not every day was filled with gunfire and close calls, thankfully. The Drake brothers had learned to enjoy the down time and the quietness while it lasted, spending the day curled up in the warmth of their home instead of traversing the chilly outdoors.

Nathan was lying on the couch, his attention divided between Sam cooking in the kitchen and the book in his hands. Mostly he was just making sure Sam wouldn’t set the stovetop on fire. Fifteen years in prison did little to aid in his already lacking cooking skills. Not that Nathan thought himself a chef either, but at least he didn’t forget about the water boiling until it evaporated into nothing and began to disfigure the pan.

His lips curled at the memory and he flipped another page, eyes scanning the faded text on the yellowing paper. Anything he could find to help him on their latest adventure was fair game, and oftentimes Nathan was thankful for the loose bits of information floating around in his head. Small facts that could literally save their lives. Between the two of them, they could rewrite quite a few history books. 

Blue eyes rose from the page when he heard a breathy curse from the kitchen, his brow hiking upwards in curiosity. “Sam?” He ventured, sitting up a bit.

“I’m fine - the uh - the pizza, not so much,” Sam grumbled, his voice followed by a clatter of pans. Unable to help himself, Nathan pushed himself up to his feet and crept into the kitchen. Once there, he was able to see the charred remains of the pizza, and smell the burnt edges of the crust. He smirked, glancing between his brother and the pizza.

“So… still no luck with being a sous chef?” He teased, stepping closer to slide an arm around Sam’s back, holding him close. “At least you tried?”

His older brother scoffed, pulling him a step closer as he shook his head. “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, yeah?” 

Nathan snickered and grabbed Sam’s hands, tugging him back towards the living room. “I wasn’t even hungry anyways, c’mon. We’ll toss it out later, it needs to uhm… cool,” He glanced over Sam’s shoulder to the smoldering pizza, “I’m pretty sure it’s in a lava-like state right now.” 

“Ouch,” Sam muttered, easily allowing his younger brother to lead him to the couch. He grabbed at the old book Nathan was paging through as he flopped down, dragging Nathan down atop him. “What’s this?” He questioned, opening the dog-eared page and adjusting his arm so Nathan could settle against him.

The other man rested his cheek on Sam’s shoulder, blue eyes half lidded as he gazed out at the pages that opened before him. “Another book on history, just in case,” He muttered, smiling to himself as he heard and felt Sam’s tiny laugh.

“You’re so dedicated,” Sam teased, sitting up a bit to rest his back against the armrest. “Interesting stuff, though… looks like this books been through hell,” He commented flipping to another page, careful not the smooth out the pages that Nathan had folded. “That, or sorely neglected.”

“The latter, definitely,” Nathan huffed while scooting up to continue leaning against Sam’s warmth. “It wasn’t even in their records, they pretty much just gave it to me,” He laughed, not mentioning that he’d snuck out of the local library with it in tow. Some habits just never would die, no matter how much he tried to squash them. 

Sam gave a low hum of thought, not commenting on how Nathan had acquired the text. What mattered is that they had it now. He flipped through a few more pages before shaking his head, “Some of this stuff is crazy, you know,” His finger trailed over a sentence as he read aloud, “Over more than five billion dollars in gold, platinum and jewels were allegedly sank during the war when the ship was hit by a torpedo.”

“Good thing we found proof that our rich ship made it to port, and that the crew was rather loose-lipped,” Nathan added while turning onto his side, stretching his hand out against Sam’s chest. He pressed his face into the juncture between Sam’s shoulder and neck, completely at ease. “You should read some more, you might learn something.”

“Uh-huh,” Sam flipped back a few pages, reminding himself of the ship’s name. “You sure you just don’t like the sound of my voice, huh?”

“I might,” His younger brother admitted with a smirk, “You could read mathematical equations and I’d still be interested.”

For a moment Sam was quiet, and Nathan let his eyes close, listening to his older brother’s breathing. Then, Sam was laughing, voice breathy as he managed, “Step one, place pizza into the oven. Step two, get distracted. Step three, smell the burning pizza and abandon ship.”

Nathan let out a snort of laughter, leaning up, on one hand, to press his lips to Sam’s. His brother released the book in favor of setting his hands on Nathan’s hips, thumbs brushing against the exposed skin there as his shirt rode up. 

When they broke apart, Nathan was still smiling, “Very funny, Sam, but a good pirate doesn’t abandon their ship.”

“Correction, a good pirate doesn’t abandon their _ treasure,” _ Sam was still grinning, and as he glanced towards the book, he added, “And neither does a good treasure hunter.”

“Hey, this is merely a little interlude. I’m not hauling my ass out there when it’s negative below, no thanks,” Nathan snuggled down against Sam’s side, grabbing at the book  and popping it open once more, the pages spread out against Sam’s broad chest.

Sam brushed his fingers fondly through Nathan’s hair, watching his face as Nathan read over all the history, the speculation. For a long while, there was a quiet. Both of them simply enjoying each other’s presence and wading through the historical questioning.

When they were together, something as simple as an old, beaten book could become so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone liked! :)


	5. Day 5: Ice Skating

Nathan should have realized that, at this altitude, the mountain face would be covered in treacherous, icy slopes. He was used to sliding down wet caves, muddy inclines, and rocky terrain, but brutal, unwavering ice? That was something new, something a whole let less pleasant than a tumble through the frosted snow.

When he hit the slope, feet first and hands braced, he’d thought he was in the clear. The first pebble and iced over rock was his doom, and even his expensive and textured boots couldn’t grip onto the sheet of ice.

He vaguely remembered laughing frantically, Sam yelling something, and then sliding down the sharpened hill with a multitude of yelps and curses leaving his lips. It tore at his clothes, ripping holes into his jacket and jeans as the sharpened rocks that jutted from the frozen cliffside made themselves known.

The man eventually came tumbling to a stop at the end of the slope, thankful that it didn’t lead to a drop off that would have surely killed him. Coughing, Nathan did his best to regain his breath and his bearings as he pushing himself up onto his knees.

“That hurt,” He huffed to himself, looking towards the slope he had just tumbled down. The ice was disturbed where his body had slid, but otherwise, looked sturdy and resistant.  Blue eyes flickered about the mountain as he tried to make out his brother, a groan of uncertainty rattling out of him. “Sam?” He called while slowly brushing the ice and dirt from his worn jacket. 

His hands double checked to see that his rope was still at his side and that his harness was still fine, which thankfully, both pieces of equipment were right where they should be. However, Nathan was disappointed to find that the rifle had been lost in the chaos. At least his handgun was still intact. 

Slowly, carefully, he crept was way into the trees, making his way back up the way he had come, aiming to run into his brother. He could only hope that Sam hadn’t wound up slipping and taking a different path down, thus ending up in serious danger. But Sam was smart, he was tricky. 

Mist rose from his mouth between every breath, and Nathan kept his eyes peeled for any activity. As he walked, his arms gingerly wrapped around himself, holding body heat in. His fingertips were freezing and his back hurt from the little skating attempt down the hill.

“Sam?” Nathan called again, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. Might not be the brightest idea, but the younger Drake wanted to vacate the area quickly anyways. 

There was a crunch to his left, Nathan spinning around, fumbling for his gun with frozen fingertips. Sam quickly held up his hands to show no harm, a smile wide on his face. 

“There ya are, little brother,” He called, walking over to Nathan and pulling him into a one armed hug. In his left hand was the rifle, looking a bit damaged, but it’d make it through a few more close calls, Nathan assumed. 

Nathan pressed his nose into Sam’s warm neck, breathing out a sigh of relief as he squeezed the elder Drake. “Jesus, Sam, don’t scare me like that.”

“Sorry, was trying to concentrate. Didn’t want to slip as I was getting the rifle or anything,” He nudged Nathan’s arm, pulling him up the steep hill. “Let’s make camp in a few minutes, it is getting dark and I don’t need you slipping in the dark.”

“I was not  _ slipping _ ,” Nathan gasped, his voice holding mock pain. 

Sam tipped his head to the side, considering. His grin was wide and teasing, “What, pray tell, do you call that graceless little tumble then?”

Nathan puffed his chest up with a smirk of his own, voice final as he nodded, “Ice skating.”

The other man let out a loud whoop of laughter, slapping Nathan on the back as he led them through the trees. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *strolls in late* 'sup?

**Author's Note:**

> Something sweet and fluffy to kick this off... probably will have a good dose of sadness later on. C'mon, red blood looks great on snow. ;3
> 
> Feedback greatly appreciated! 
> 
> For those curious, the 30 day Winter challenge was found on dA. I was going to do the original 30 day OTP challenge, but I read through it again and... didn't like the prompts. So this was my choice instead! Hope you'll enjoy reading them. :'D


End file.
